Well, my brother did most of the rescuing. Some jerk seemed to have abandoned their pet dumbo rat in a park. My brother happened to be walking in that park while the rat was being stalked by a fox! So he scared the fox away, called me to bring our small kennel and we caught the rat. The rat really bit up his work gloves in the process.

Now that he's in his own big cage, he's been bruxing and boggling his eyes so I think he's happy to have a home. However, he doesn't seem socialized at all. He doesn't respond to us when we come up to his cage and he doesn't want to be touched. He is gently taking treats out of my hand though so that's a start. How someone could neglect and abandon such a beautiful rat really upsets me.

Right now, his cage is being kept away from my other rat's cage in another room just in case he has any illnesses that could transfer over. He seems healthy but I plan on taking him to our vet as soon as possible for a checkup. Due to his lack of socialization, I'm worried about him biting the veterinarian and the vet tech and I'm hoping they'll be equipped to handle that when I tell them about his situation. In the meantime, I'll continue to try socializing him.

Here's his picture! I named him Mason (like a stonemason) because his tail coloration makes it look like it's made of stone. His head has pretty silver-grey markings.

Aww, poor Mason! I hope he'll calm down and make friends with you soon!Please keep us posted - and feel free to message me if you want to talk about rat integration at some point. I've had lots of rescued rat flatmates over the years (i.e. eleven who stayed, and two temporary foster rats), and there's a lot you can do.Good luck with Mason - he's a cutie!

He's adorable! But I'm wondering, is it not possible these types of rats are born in the wild, not having been abandoned? Just out of curiosity really, not that I think you shouldn't give him a home, I definitely am glad he has a safe home. I guess I just never understood the difference between wild rats and rats people have as pets. Different breeds I'm assuming, but would it be weird to rescue a wild rat? Anyhow.

He's adorable! But I'm wondering, is it not possible these types of rats are born in the wild, not having been abandoned? Just out of curiosity really, not that I think you shouldn't give him a home, I definitely am glad he has a safe home. I guess I just never understood the difference between wild rats and rats people have as pets. Different breeds I'm assuming, but would it be weird to rescue a wild rat? Anyhow.

Yeah, domesticated rats look very different from wild rats, domesticated rats have different colour patterns while wild rats are usually all brown or black, and domestics are way more tame and less sensitive to light.

Its like the difference between a house cat and a feral, you'd know XD

_________________I was really surprised the first time I saw a penis. After those banana tutorials, I was expecting something so different. -Tofulish

Yes, we've been to the vet and he was healthy other than having lice which he's being treated for. :) Sometimes he makes squeaking noises that sound kind of like hiccups when he's alone and they go away when I go up to his cage and give him treats/attention. We weren't sure what that could be. He comes out of his cage to play now and he's letting me pet him! Hopefully soon, I'll be able to hold him and give him snuggles!

Thanks, Phoenix, for your offer. I may PM you sometime if we have any issues. :) My boyfriend recently moved back in with his mom in AZ and took one of our rats with him. We were never able to get him (Mordie) and the other rat I have (Mikus) to get along despite being introduced at somewhat young ages so they were kept in separate cages. Recently, I was playing with Mikus on my bed and as soon as he saw Mason in his cage, he started puffing up his fur and hissing so they will probably need to be kept in separate cages as well. If that's how it must be, that's okay with me and they'll each get lots of love and play time from me!

But yes, any input/advice is certainly welcome. :) Thanks all for the replies!

Edit: Forgot to mention that he didn't bite anyone and he only squirmed a little bit at the vet. He was a gentleman.

I know what you mean! Kind of quiet, not like regular squeaking but more like "mgh, mgh" (yes, totally like hiccups now that I think about it!)? It could really just be a loneliness thing. Rory, my foster rat, used to do that once in a while. She was sick, so the others shunned her and she had a separate cage and separate times to run around. Sometimes the others (who were sisters and thus super close) would make those noises when they were asleep and/or alone in one of the little houses. Usually, one of their sisters would come and cuddle, and the hiccupping noises would stop. So I guess it's great that Mason reacts to you the way he does. I think he likes your company. :)

I know what you mean! Kind of quiet, not like regular squeaking but more like "mgh, mgh" (yes, totally like hiccups now that I think about it!)? It could really just be a loneliness thing. Rory, my foster rat, used to do that once in a while. She was sick, so the others shunned her and she had a separate cage and separate times to run around. Sometimes the others (who were sisters and thus super close) would make those noises when they were asleep and/or alone in one of the little houses. Usually, one of their sisters would come and cuddle, and the hiccupping noises would stop. So I guess it's great that Mason reacts to you the way he does. I think he likes your company. :)

Ooo, thank you, that's good information to have! Was wondering what his 'hiccups' were all about. You described it very accurately. Glad I'm able to comfort him when he's lonely then. :)